Shake It Off

The start of Pac-12 play could not have gone any worse for USC men's basketball. The Trojans suffered a 34-point defeat to rival UCLA.

However, Andy Enfield and his team understand that despite the ignominious nature of the loss, it only counts as one. USC can even up its conference record tonight against Arizona State (Galen Center at 7 p.m. PT).

The Trojans have responded well to losses this season sporting a 3-1 record after defeats. Notably, USC looked overmatched against Villanova and Wake Forest in the Bahamas, but bounced back to beat Xavier, which has not lost a game since. And, after being upset at Long Beach State, the Trojans went to Dayton as heavy underdogs and stole a huge road win in overtime thanks to Pe'Shon Howard's buzzer-beater.

Howard (pictured) will be at the center of the action tonight. He is USC's third leading scorer at 10.2 points per game, but he has not registered a single point in back-to-back contests limiting himself to two shot attempts per game.

The Trojans' starting point guard will be matched up with ASU PG Jahii Carson, who is fifth in the Pac-12 at 18.7 points per game. To beat the Sun Devils, USC must limit the future NBA first round pick and force his teammates to make shots.